Designing a home that endures in a disposable society is a practice the architectural firm A Classical Studio holds in high regard. As the name implies, the firm designs classically inspired, high-end custom residences and renovations to stand the test of time, but there’s much more to its design ethos than simply traditional styling.
As a relatively small firm, A Classical Studio provides individualized attention to its residential clients, whether they are building a primary or vacation home. “We are hands-on designers,” says founder and president David Grace. “We draw designs by hand while sitting in front of our clients, resolving problems and addressing ideas as we’re sketching. Many architects miss out on this important immediate feedback. While we can later provide drawings, renderings and 3-D models and use all of the other design tools, this initial step helps us understand the clients’ needs and helps clients understand where the design originates.”
The firm’s designs are timeless, not trendy. “We understand the longevity of a well-designed home and aim to create spaces that endure,” says principal architect Samantha Wilson.
The studio is celebrating 20 years in business this year; Grace started A Classical Studio after a deep background in classical design and several years working for other architectural firms. He is the founding president of the Southeast Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and is involved in this organization, which is dedicated to advancing the practice of classical architecture.
His professional involvement informs his work today, as do his personal experiences. “I bought a 1915 Craftsman bungalow in the early ’90s that was falling apart,” he explains. “The three years during which I renovated it and brought it back to life changed my personal design philosophy. After the renovation, I had a visitor who asked to see the backyard; it turns out it was her grandmother’s house, and she was married in that yard. She was so happy with the renovation. With this experience, I was able to see how each home is connected to a generational legacy. At this time, I also decided I wanted to go more in-depth and explore the architectural language of each of our projects, which develop their own unique vocabulary based on the geographic region in which they are located.”
Each project the studio’s architects approach has dual goals—to create a beautiful home that also reflects that particular family’s values and lifestyle in order to extend the legacy for generations. To achieve these goals, Grace and his team address several points of design.
To start, the team’s knowledge of the language of classical architecture comes into play. While they can employ the forms of traditional design, they also adapt architectural elements to express the regional style of a specific geographic location. “Our goal is not just to reproduce what has been done before but to use style as the ‘grammar’ in the classical language of architecture,” Grace explains. “Designing a home specifically for its geographic location allows it to nestle into its setting; every location has its own local vernacular. It provides us the unique opportunity to look at local precedents to provide inspiration for a new home that feels authentic for its location.” To assist in its use of authenticity, the firm prefers using natural materials instead of manmade ones, whenever it can. “Look at Mount Vernon and Monticello. They are over 200 years old yet still maintain their original, operable wooden windows. Natural materials are time-tested and last,” he adds.
The studio also designs for a modern family’s particular lifestyle. If a client requests their home be designed in a certain style, such as an English Jacobean manor, the architects will include key design elements of that style, like elaborate detailing, while reinterpreting the design for the way the family lives in the space. “We build for both young families and empty nesters, both primary homes and secondary retreats,” Grace says. “We’re here to support our clients’ lifestyles through the built environment. While working in historical architectural influences, we also incorporate design nuances that support the homeowners. For example, a family with young boys enrolled in sports needs a drop zone for gear near the entry door.” By having in-depth conversations with their clients, the studio’s architects learn about the layers of their clients’ lives. “Perhaps we realize a couple loves to entertain but not cook,” Grace adds. “We will design a scullery for them so the caterers can come in behind the scenes and handle the messy work out of sight of the main kitchen.”
While providing value to the family that lives in the home today, the firm also strives to design a sense of legacy into their projects that will be a generational influence in the future. “Beyond materials and craftsmanship, we want to express the values of the family who lives in the home through design,” says Grace. “We also want to extend that to future generations. You know how your grandparents’ home feels like comfort? That value in their home resonates in the grandchildren. It’s a way for a family to impart their legacy through the expression of their home. We want every home we design to be an asset and elevate those around and involved with it. Our job is to speak for our clients in the architectural language they don’t necessarily speak.”
While the firm’s portfolio is brimming with traditional projects, they design many different styles, including modern homes. “A modern home has a different style vocabulary than a traditional one,” Grace explains. “We translate the architectural style’s vocabulary and apply it; that part of the process is not dependent on the place for which we are designing.” While his firm applies this principle to residences it builds across the country, it also designs entire neighborhoods and commercial structures using the same design philosophy.
Grace feels education is a big part of the process when working with the firm’s clients. “It is our belief that all Western traditional architecture can trace its heritage back to Greek and Roman predecessors. Without a full understanding of that background, one cannot fully appreciate the more modern vernacular adaptations so popular today. We want our clients to understand where the design is coming from, while we in turn are working to understand their lifestyles,” he says. “We work from their inspiration photos but then deliberately introduce outliers to create the functionality, timelessness and value that supports their lives. Above all, we are creating homes that endure.”
